


Strawberries, Blind Dates, and Other Sweet Things

by orphan_account



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Blind Date, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Jaskier | Dandelion Has a Past, M/M, Musician Jaskier | Dandelion, Nurse Geralt of Rivia, Romance, Up and Coming Artist Jaskier
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23241718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Geralt works a lot but that doesn't mean he's married to his job. Yennefer, however, disagrees - and begins conspiring with Shani to set him up on a blind date with her best friend Jaskier.Geralt is stagnating. Jaskier is running. What a simple solution it is to bring them together.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	Strawberries, Blind Dates, and Other Sweet Things

**Author's Note:**

> Written for pixieandthehawk over on Tumblr for sending me the prompts "blind date" and "married to the job." Love you, thank you so much!!!

“You know, you need to get out more,” said Yennefer, reclining on Geralt’s couch with a bowl of strawberries and chocolate sauce stolen from Geralt’s kitchen, her feet up on his coffee table like she paid his rent. “You’re in the prime of your life, you’re hot as hell, and you’re choosing to throw your life away to your job. When was the last time you got laid?”

“When was the last time that was any of your business?” Geralt stomped into his bedroom to change out of his uniform, irritated that his alone time was being so rudely intruded upon. Why had he given her the spare key again? “And put my food back in the fridge, or so help me.”

“Don’t be grumpy.”

“Okay, you work a thirteen-hour shift and come home for some peace and quiet only to find someone sitting on your couch eating your strawberries, and we’ll see what your attitude is like.”

Yennefer rolled her eyes. "Maybe you wouldn't be so grumpy if you didn't work such ridiculously long hours. They're not down on nurses anymore, Geralt. You can afford to take some time off for yourself."

"And do what exactly? I'm not like you, Yen. I have to be doing something. Something worthwhile. Not everyone can spend the day gossiping with society women about _business of state_ over wine and cheese platters," he added pointedly, snatching the bowl out of her hands as he collapsed on the couch with a relieved groan, wriggling his bare toes in the rug as he reached for the television remote. 

"There's nothing wrong with being a member of high society." Yennefer primly crossed one leg over the other, bringing a hand up to rest the side of her index finger delicately over her blood-red lips. "You ought to give it a go, Geralt. Your manners could do with a bit of work, as does your communication skills, but you have the looks to pull it off." Her eyes wandered over him appreciatively. 

"And how does Istredd fare?" 

Pursing her lips, Yennefer said, "Currently trying to weasel more support - and by that, I mean money, mostly - out of Stregobor. Otherwise, one-third of the ICU will have to be shut down. I warned him this would happen. He's in control of the budget. Stregobor is being understandably stingy."

Though she was a member of high society, as the wife of Istredd who owned the city's biggest hospital - the one in which Geralt worked - she often had her fingers in many pies and would occasionally stoop to take over the business to keep it afloat.

Without her, Geralt surmised, the hospital would have been shut down long ago. Istredd always "heard the call" of greatness and followed it wherever it led. Last time it led him to Skellige and nobody saw or heard from him for two months. What he did when he disappeared was the greatest mystery of all.

There were a lot of brains in that relationship, and most of the time, Yennefer hogged it all. 

"I don't understand why you don't buy him out of his half of the hospital." Geralt chomped down on a strawberry with more force than necessary. "If he keeps going at the rate he's going, the hospital is going to be shut down, and there's no other hospital in the city that could take all of our patients."

"I made a promise to him -"

"I've seen you break promises to people you cared for without so much as batting an eyelash. Me, for example."

"Oh, dear god. You're bringing that up again? I told you before; we weren't suited for each other."

"And I agree with you on that. I was just making a point."

She sighed. "Istredd has a great mind when he puts it toward things he enjoys -"

"And he doesn't enjoy running the hospital, which means he _shouldn't_ be."

"You're more than welcome to take up your concerns with him." She waved a hand toward his front door. "Keep in mind that you're not saying anything I haven't already said. Perhaps if one third of the ICU does get shut down, it will finally break him out of whatever funk he's been going through that's kept him running to all corners of planet."

Geralt glared. "At the cost of innocent lives."

"At the cost of innocent lives," she agreed dully, standing. "Suddenly I am in the mood to consume something heavier than strawberries. What have you got in your kitchen?"

"Stop eating all the food in my kitchen."

"Stop inviting me to eat all the food in your kitchen."

"When the fuck have I ever done that?"

"Every time you do a grocery run, my dear. Buying food for the house is an invitation for me to eat it. Have you learned anything over the years?"

Listening to her rummage through his pantry, Geralt vowed to change the locks to his house. But just like the other hundred times, he knew he never would.

* * *

"Jaskier, please, talk to me." Shani leaned against the bathroom door. Her heart clenched as she listened to the muffled sobs inside. "Please. Tell me what's wrong. Did something happen with Vespula?"

"Did something happen with Vespula?" Jaskier laughed hysterically and ripped open the bathroom door. His hair was a mess, his eyeliner clouded around his eyes. "Did something happen with Vespula? I thought she was the one, Shani, that's what happened!"

She took his hand and guided him toward the couch. If she let him stay inside the bathroom - god forbid, lock the door again - there was no telling what he would do. "Come, talk to me. Tell me what happened."

Truth be told she hadn't liked Vespula much; she was a flighty woman, prone to fits of aggression where any and all things near at hand were weapons, and a mind that held onto grudges with a religious fervor. But Shani had swallowed her concerns because Jaskier had seemed so happy for once. She had missed his smile and the playful nature of their youth. 

Perhaps she would have been better off voicing them after all.

"I - you know -" Jaskier hiccuped, rubbing his eyes. Shani snatched a few tissues from the box on the coffee table and handed it to him, patiently waiting as he mopped himself up. "You know I had the reservation at Misty Moonlight, right?"

"Yes," she responded slowly, not liking where this was going. "I do."

"Turns out she forgot who made the reservation! There I was like a fucking fool, her favourite flowers waiting on the table for her because you know how I like when she blushes -"

"Jaskier."

"Right, sorry. And then her she is, walking in with her lover, asking for a reservation under _his_ name!" 

"Oh...oh dear."

"Oh dear, indeed! Now I know I haven't been the most faithful person in the world, Shani. Not that I've ever cheated on anyone, right? I just didn't want to be in a relationship. But is this some sort of karmic justice? The world must be laughing at me right now. The one time I fucking try, the one time when I can see myself waking up next to someone for the rest of my life, this shit happens!"

"Jask, no. You didn't do anything to deserve this!" There had been times when Jaskier had found out after the fact that his willing bed partner had a spouse or lover of their own. Quite frankly he had a knack for falling into bed with the types of people unwilling to disclose that information. But nobody deserved to be cheated on. Especially not since Jaskier was trying so hard to turn his life around. "Vespula - Vespula is a horrible woman. She'll get what's coming to her."

If Vespula ever had the misfortune of meeting Shani in the streets ever again, Shani would show her exactly why she should never cross her and her friends. Shani's fist ached, desperate to shove it right into Vespula's ugly, cheating face. 

Jaskier whimpered. "Shani..."

"Come here." She gathered him into her arms and let him sob into her shoulder as she petted his hair. "We're gonna order dinner in, and we're gonna have a movie night, you hear?"

"Can we watch Jurassic Park?"

"Yes, we can. And I bought that two-litre tub of ice cream that you like, the bubblegum one. I have the next three days off of work and you're gonna stay here with me and we're gonna forget Vespula together, alright? Once those three days are up, we won't even remember who Vespula is. She's nothing, Jaskier. Nothing. And she never deserved you."

He sniffled. "Love you, Shani."

"I love you, too, Jaskier. C'mon, help me get set up for the movie night."


End file.
